Policeman killed in Mannar

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 March 1999, 07:37 GMT]Three Sri Lankan Policemen were shot this morning around 9.45 a.m. in the heart of Mannar town by two gunmen, suspected to be members of the Liberation Tigers. One of the wounded policemen identified as Bandara, 24, died on admission to the Mannar base hospital.

The other two, Chandrasiri, 24 and Priyanka, 26, were rushed to the Anuradhapura general hospital, 111 km. southeast of Mannar.

The policemen were shot on Main Street.

The youth had got away the area, a high security zone dotted with SLA and Police sentries, camps and offices, before the it could be cordoned off and searched said sources in the town.

The gunmen had left behind the bicycles in which they had come to the spot.

The Mannar town remains tense and the army and Police have began a search operation said the Mannar TamilNet correspondent.